Newspaper advice columnists paved the way for LGBTQ rights in America

In Chicago, 1983. Eppie Lederer, known as Ann Landers (1918-2002).
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

In the era when the daily newspaper served up an eclectic variety of content, from politics, business, crime, sports, recipes, and comic strips, the advice column quickly became one of the most popular features of most dailies. And while newspaper readership has continued to spiral downward in recent years, the popularity of asking an old “agony aunt” for advice hasn’t waned – it’s just moved to a new location, online.

For many millions of Americans, advice columns served the important dual function of providing advice to those seeking help and providing a stimulating, interesting peek into the lives of the people around us. They also often provided the first mention of homosexuals outside of newspaper police reports where gays were presented as a criminal threat, or in mid-century “security sweeps” of the federal government where the loyalty of gays was placed in doubt. The influence of advice columns could be wide and impactful, as more than 100 million readers regularly read one of the columns in their heyday.

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Advice columnists of all types took up the subject of homosexuality as early as the 1920s and demonstrated positions that varied from empathy and compassion to damnation and scorn. Traditional lovelorn columnists and those offering psychological or social advice were among the first to step into the discussion, but many have followed, including astrologists, evangelical religious leaders, and even veterinarians. In all instances, advice columnists seemed to reflect – and sometimes lead – American attitudes toward their LGBTQ brethren.

Not only did the columnists themselves offer varying views on homosexuality, readers were not shy in offering their own viewpoints. As the topics and advice contained in the columns continued to evolve, readers could show disgust and approval.

One mother, writing to the venerable Ann Landers in 1974 declared, “I am wondering just how far the publisher will let you go…

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2021/11/newspaper-advice-columnists-paved-way-lgbtq-rights-america/